Opinions Please

Discussion in 'GM Diesel 6.5' started by 97SuperCab, Feb 10, 2006.

  1. 97SuperCab

    97SuperCab Member

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    Hi, I currently drive a Ford gasser. Though I like the truck OK, I'm always looking around for something better.

    What would your opinion of a '94 GMC 3500, 2wd, extended cab, DRW, 5 spd, 6.5L (I assume) w/ 175k on the ticker be?

    http://www.autotrader.com/fyc/vdp.jsp?car_id=188918895&dealer_id=571755&car_year=1994&search_type=both&make=GMC&transmission=&distance=25&model=&address=64081&make2=sel_one&only_price=1&certified=&advanced=y&max_mileage=&max_price=6000&bkms=1139605057076&min_price=1&end_year=2007&color=&start_year=1981&drive=&isp=y&engine=&body_style=TRUCKS&doors=&fuel=Diesel&lang=en&cardist=19

    I know next to nothing about 6.5L diesels, but I love that style of truck and the price seems OK. The truck would have to be my DD (15k miles/yr) and tow my 5,000 lb Jeep/Trailer combo a few times each year.

    Anything to look out for?
    Any obvious indicators of trouble to look for?
     
  2. joez

    joez Well-Known Member

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    Do you really want a dually for a daily driver, especially when you are only towing 5K pounds? Honestly, for what you are looking to do, try and find a 1/2 ton with the 6.5 in it or a LD 3/4 ton. Though they can be a bit harder to find, they generally had a much easier life and are more comfortable for daily driver duty. Unless of course you need a DRW for work or something else, that is.

    That truck you showed has probobally had a decently hard life, and being at a used car dealership you cant easily ask the PO how he treated and maintained the truck.
     
  3. 97SuperCab

    97SuperCab Member

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    I'm afraid you're probably correct. I'm going to take a look at it tomorrow, but am not expecting much from it. I realize a DRW for daily use won't be ideal, but I really, really like that body style. Always have.

    Here's a 1500 that I found also, but it's a bit more $$ and is still at a used car lot.

    http://www.autotrader.com/fyc/vdp.jsp?car_id=196522760&dealer_id=630445&car_year=1995&search_type=both&make=CHEV&transmission=&distance=25&model=CHEV150&address=64081&make2=sel_one&certified=&advanced=y&max_mileage=&max_price=&bkms=1139611525031&min_price=&end_year=2007&color=&start_year=1981&drive=&isp=y&engine=&body_style=TRUCKS&doors=&fuel=Diesel&lang=en&cardist=14

    I guess the question I'm really asking is what to look for in these engines. Everything I can find is likely to be in the 150k mile range, which scares the crap out of me because I've always been a gasser.
     
  4. joez

    joez Well-Known Member

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    150K is not bad at all if its been maintained and not abused. These motors are not without issues, though. To be fair, alot of their bad reputation did come from misdiagnosis from the dealerships. The plus side is that the IP's have a hidden waranty that extends to 11 years/120K miles, so the truck may have an almost new pump on it.

    The main problem stems from the PMD, which is a little black box that essentially controls the injection pump. They develop a lot of heat, and do not cool adequately in the stock location. When they go bad, they can give symptoms of a bad injection pump, cause the truck to shut down randomly, give it a rough idle, and numerous other issues. They cost about $200, and relocation kits are between 100-400, depending on where it gets relocated to. This is not to say that the pumps are without issues, but IMHO the pump itself is not significantly less reliable than its mechanical counterpart. Just the electronic gizmo's attatched to it are, another one is the fuel shutoff solenoid.

    Honestly, i could probobally type a novel here about all the potential issues the 6.5 can have, but it would probobally scare you away. Really they are not bad motors, most of the problems they have are easily fixed and dont cost you an arm and a leg, they are just a missunderstood motor. The good news is that this bad reputation generally drives the price of the trucks down, and IMHO its a better truck than ford and dodge. There are a couple posts here about the issues of the motor, and a wealth of information on http://www.thedieselplace.com.

    If you have any specific questions just ask, there are a few of us 6.5 guys arround here.
     
  5. Brisk

    Brisk Well-Known Member

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    I love mine. Tows SOOOO much nicer than the same truck that I had with a 350. In Kansas Towing you could expect about 13mpg b/c it is so flat, less if you are going up big hills. I have 4.10 gears in my truck which is great for towing but less than ideal for DD duty (mpg) Look for one with 3.73s. they made some with 3.42s but they were dogs and probably wouldnt pull much better than your F150.

    Like Joez said they are mostly a misunderstood motor. They do have their quirks but once they are figured out it makes for a fairly solid rig. Dont expect cummins power out of them but that is not what they were designed for.

    Overall I think that you will be quite happy towing with one. Mine tows my XJ like it is not even there.waytogo
     
  6. 1999GMC

    1999GMC Well-Known Member

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    My truck has 105,000 on it and the only thing I've had to do was the oil cooler lines. They were leaking. I'm sure a lot of people would have left them alone. They would leak a drop on the ground if my truck was parked for 3 days. They have been seeping for a while but they just started to show up on the ground so I changed them. Other than that I love the truck. Rides nice, tows twice as good as my 350 TBI Suburban did. All in all I don't regret buying it one bit.
     
  7. 97SuperCab

    97SuperCab Member

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    Well, I drove the '94 3500 Dually. It was pretty rough, which was to be expected given the low price and all. It smoked a little white on start-up, and occassionally under power. It smoked a TON (black) anytime I was accelerating, no matter how hard or light. I've heard this can be a sign of a lack of air, but it also just seemed pretty rough in general. It had a blown exhaust gasket between the manifold and mid-pipe, and some rather odd looking wiring going on under the hood.

    It was a good truck for me to drive to get a guage on what the low-end of the quality spectrum looked like.
     
  8. Brisk

    Brisk Well-Known Member

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    Well hopefully the next one wont be as bad.
     
  9. RJF's Red Cummins

    RJF's Red Cummins TRC Staff Moderator

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    I think that Z71 would be right up your alley. If all you need to do is pull 5K, that truck should handle it fine. The lighter Z71 should get better mileage than the 1 ton dually too.
     
  10. 97SuperCab

    97SuperCab Member

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    I haven't looked at that one yet. I have just about decided to live with what I have for now and just go slow.

    Does the 1/2 ton have a turbo diesel, or is it non-turbo?
     
  11. bigHD

    bigHD Well-Known Member

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    Newer half tons are all gas. Some of the OBS half tons had the 6.5. A few but not very many. 1999 and up are all gas: look for the 5.3 V8, its better than the 4.8 for towing duty. A few of the 1988-1998 Half tons had the 6.5 (look on ebay, you can usually find one there). Otherwise on that body style, look for the 5.7 V8 (350ci). Also look for the RPO Code G80 in the glove box. This is the rear locking differential.
    Here is a link to a half ton 6.5 on sale on ebay:

    http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/1996-Chevrolet-C-K-1500-Pickup-with-6-5-Turbo-Diesel_W0QQitemZ4612773525QQcategoryZ90965QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
     
    Last edited: Feb 15, 2006
  12. Brisk

    Brisk Well-Known Member

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    Its a Turbo. It is essentially the same motor that is in the HD pickups but with an EGR system that reduces power. I still think you should re-gear your current truck. It will give you a lot more oompf for pulling. You said you could do it for relatively cheap so it should be worth it.
     
  13. 97SuperCab

    97SuperCab Member

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    Yeah, that's pretty much the decision I've made. I was just curious because I had heard the 1/2 ton models weren't turbo.

    I should have been more patient when I bought my current truck. I found it with only 65k miles, and bought it for about $2,500 below blue book, so I couldn't resist it. If I had waited, I may have spent a few more $$, but I probably would have gotten a bigger V-8.

    I'm probably going to put an exhaust and gears on mine and be done with it. That will be easier, cheaper, and make the wife happier.
     
  14. Heavydutyharley

    Heavydutyharley Well-Known Member

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    I had a 1994 2500 extended cab 2WD 6.5 vin code F with 5sp. tranny. I installed the reprogramed chip and 4" exhaust from Diesel Power and it pulled better than the dually I have now. When I first bought it, it smoked a lot when I accelerated ...it turned out to be the vacumn pump. Replaced it, problems gone. The truck would out pull a Dodge 2500 diesel 5sp. pulling the same 11000 lb load. The only trouble I had with the truck was the clutch master cylinder would blow out every so often. I never did figure out what the issue was there. I just kept a spare in the truck. My truck had 140K on it. 4:10 gears I loved it, I now have a 3500 CCDRW TD auto ...I love it for the space but the 94 would out pull it.
     

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